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485 grants pouring in!
Last week, the Minister for Home Affairs released a media statement highlighting the Department’s visa processing performance since taking office, noting that for a period of timethe Department had been prioritising the processing of offshore temporary skilled visas, student visas, and visitor visas,with 745,000 applications processed since June this year, approximately 86.5% of which involved offshore applicants.
Many applicants still waiting for a decision have been wondering — where is the grants rush? Why haven’t they received theirs?
The media statement was released on the 25th,and on the 28th and 29th of that week, 485 grants started coming through in bulk,The chart below shows a partial summary of Newstars clients’ grants,the majority of whom applied onshore ↓↓↓
This wave of 485 grants hasn’t finished yet —another wave came through on 2 August, processing from midnight through to noon, and continuing beyond…
In the post-pandemic period, a combination of factors slowed 485 processing considerably. Visas that would normally take one to two months to be granted had many onshore applicants waiting six months or longer. Many sighed: how can even the 485 take this long……
We’ve finally seen a genuine grants rush. We hope this wave continues — and extends to state-nominated skilled migration visas like the 190, 491, and 189.
2–5 Years on the Graduate Work Visa —
A Golden Preparation Window
Following several rounds of policy relaxations and make-up measures, most eligible Australian graduates holdthree years or 2+1 years on the Subclass 485, with a minimum of two years,while those in certain regional areascan hold up to 3+2 years.
These 2–5 years represent a golden preparation window for finding employment, pursuing migration, and settling in Australia.
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Pathway Option 1 / State Nomination — Subclass 190/491
State nomination has overtaken the Subclass 189 to become the most popular migration pathway for Australian graduates. Being the most popular means there areplenty of opportunities— but it also meansfierce competition.
If you are a graduate fromNew South Wales or Victoria—
you should first consider applying for state nomination from your home state. But move quickly to build up your points, and be mentally prepared for a long wait.
These two states have historically offered large nomination quotas, but competition is correspondingly intense. With large numbers of local graduates, plus Sydney and Melbourne’s appeal attracting applicants from interstate,state governments are in the comfortable position of being ‘spoilt for choice’ — they cherry-pick their most desirable and highest-calibre candidates.
Based onlast financial year’sinvitation data,to stand a chance in these two states, IT professionals may need 90 or 95 points, accountants are looking at 100-plus, and it still depends on whether the state government is willing to invitehealthcare, social work, nursing, and teaching occupations are favoured — scores in the 70–80 range may have a chance;while other common occupations generally need 80–90 points to be considered.
Hopefully both states will broaden their requirements for high-demand fields such as IT, accounting, and engineering, and extend more invitations this financial year.
For NSW invitation data, refer to:Official data: The dozen-plus occupations NSW’s Subclass 190 most favoured for invitations last financial year — engineering and IT made the list! Full occupational breakdown included.
If you are a graduate fromCanberra, South Australia, Western Australia, or the Northern Territory—
we generally recommend exploring your home state/territory’s nomination first, unless there are specific reasons not to.
Firstly, these states and territories offersignificant policy advantages to local graduates— some have lower eligibility thresholds with no points competition required, while others give local graduates a points advantage. Secondly,they tend to issue invitations to local graduates fairly readily.
If you are a graduate of a university inQueensland or Tasmania—
given recent policy changes, the picture may vary.
Queenslandpreviously had relatively strict requirements and limited quotas, butthis financial year’s policy offers certain advantages to local graduates;Tasmaniahas faced oversubscribed quotas for several consecutive years, andthis financial year brings major policy changes.
As at2 August 2022— current state nomination status
All states are awaiting the federal government to release nomination allocations
NSW:The occupation list and application requirements will be published shortly; no pre-invitations have been issued this financial year
Victoria:Detailed policy has not yet been announced, and applications have not yet opened. The state government has indicated it will relax requirements and open a pathway for offshore applicants, will open soon.
Canberra:This financial year’s policy and occupation list have been confirmed, with 95 new occupations added. Matrix pre-invitations have already been issued — the first state to pre-approve nominations — and the state government has explicitly requested additional nomination allocations.For more information, see:Canberra state nomination for the new financial year | Nearly 100 occupations added to the list, including mechanical engineering and interpreting! State government forecasts invitation scores for the new financial year!
Queensland: at a briefing, the key directions for this financial year’s policy were announced —the main changes are relaxed requirements for certain local graduates, the employer pathway opened to offshore applicants (little change for onshore applicants), and the relaunch of the Subclass 188E business investor stream.Applications remain closed pending receipt of the nomination allocation. For more information, see:Queensland’s first state nomination announcement for the new financial year! Three major policy wins — relaxed requirements for local graduates, reopened for offshore applicants, 188E restarted! State government expects to receive the allocation in August!
South Australia:The occupation list and application requirements will be published shortly; applications remain closed and no pre-invitations have been issued this financial year
Tasmania:Full details of this financial year’s new policy have been published, with significant changes. Formal nominations and new applications will only open once the allocation is received.A portion of this financial year’s allocation will be used to process applications that were backlogged from last financial year; additional nomination allocations are also hoped for. For more information, see:A complete guide to Tasmania’s state nomination new policy | Updated lists and Critical Role included! Full details for each pathway released, applicants placed into three priority tiers!
Western Australia:The occupation list and application requirements have been confirmed and published, with advantages for local graduates.Applications remain closed and no pre-invitations have been issued this financial year,with a clear request lodged for additional nomination allocations.For more information, see:The first new financial year state nomination policy and list released! ICT, auditing, and 190+ other occupations added — offshore pathway reopened! Analysis of the positive signals for future migration trends!
Northern Territory:The MINT programme has confirmed all migration occupations are eligible, and the newly established MINT Graduate Pathway has begun accepting applications.The general pathway’s occupation list and application requirements have not yet been officially announced, and applications remain closed with no pre-invitations issued this financial year. For more information, see:MINT programme significantly expanded for the new financial year! All migration occupations eligible, including multiple finance, IT, engineering, and marketing roles! Opportunities may open for graduate visa holders too!
Subclass 189 Skilled Independent — Wait and See; Recommended as a Backup Only
Some applicants still have their hearts set on the 189. While the 189 allocation has increased somewhat this financial year, and some experts have predicted that 189 invitations will improve, invitations that were expected in July have not yet materialised.Based on past invitation patterns, most invitations have gone to healthcare, nursing, social work, and various teaching occupations, plus a small proportion of engineering, with invitation scores even higher than state nomination.
As such, the 189 remains a wait-and-see situation — treat it as a backup option.
Pathway Option 2 / Employer Sponsorship
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In particular, foraccountinggraduates — securing a job in your field and pursuing employer sponsorship is currently the most straightforward, lower-cost pathway. While accounting is retained across most state nomination programmes, invitations are either rare or require very high scores under intense competition.
IT professionals, engineers, and trades such as chefscan also consider this pathway
For graduate visa holders, we mainly outlinethe Subclass 482 employer sponsorship pathway, which has the lowest requirements. The 485 visa provides enough time tofind suitable employment and accumulate the required work experience.
Key advantages of employer sponsorship:
– No points requirement; no scores competition
– Lower English language requirements
– Most Subclass 482 occupations do not require a skills assessment
– Shorter processing times (particularly for some high-demand occupations currently)
– Consistent requirements for applicants across all of Australia
– You can remain in your current location and continue working and living there
– Policy is relatively stable, and Australia is currently experiencing a widespread labour shortage
Subclass 482 basic eligibility requirements
– The nominated position must be on the MLTSSL or STSOL (some occupations on the ROL may also be eligible for a Subclass 482 visa)
– No age restriction
– At least 2 years of relevant full-time work experience in a field related to the nominated occupation
– No skills assessment required (except for specified occupations)
– Occupations on the MLTSSL offer a pathway to permanent residency
– For MLTSSL occupations, English must be at least IELTS 5.0 in each band (valid for 3 years)
– For STSOL occupations, English must be at least IELTS overall 5.0 with no band below 4.5, or equivalent (valid for 3 years)
Subclass 482 work experience requirements
–The 2 years of work experience only needs to bemet before the visa is granted — it does not have to be satisfied at the time of lodgement
– The work content and position requirements are less strict than the Subclass 186;related occupations may also count— however, the work must still demonstrate a requisite skill level. For example, if an applicant wishes to nominate the occupation of chef under a Subclass 482, previous experience as a cook would not meet the requirements, as cook is classified at a lower skill level than chef.
–Experience may be pre-qualification experience— or research undertaken during a Master (Research) or PhD programme; paid internships and apprenticeships during study count, as does experience gained while holding a provisional registration for roles that require registration.
– However, work experience is assessed within the past 5 years; if you have been out of the industry for too long, the Department may consider that you no longer possess up-to-date, industry-relevant skills.
If you would like a detailed assessment of your work experience and information on sponsor requirements, add our client services team via the link at the end of the article!
Alternative Pathways / MINT & SBO Programmes
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Option 1: Northern Territory MINT Programme
The MINT programme has launched a new Start-Up applicant pathway this financial year (MINT Start-Up Graduate Program)which can help graduates who do not want to compete on points or wait for work experience to accumulate, offering a direct route to a Subclass 190 permanent residency visa at just 65 points.Eligible applicants includerecent graduates currently onshore in Australiaas well asthose who graduated from an Australian institution in earlier years but are currently offshore.You simply need the nominated occupation to appear on any federal migration occupation list and hold a corresponding skills assessment.
The Start-Up applicant pathway is now open for applications.In late July, onshore applicants who had previously signed with Newstars attended an online preliminary interview with the MINT Foundation, accompanied by Panel Agent Simon Wu. After reviewing the applicants’ backgrounds and general business plans, the MINT Foundation expressed satisfaction and invited the applicants to attend an in-person interview in the Northern Territory in early August.
The programme primarily requiresan investment of $515,000, along with certain business establishment and management fees. The breakdown of the investment is as follows:
80% invested in state government bonds,generating approximately 2% annual return; principal and interest guaranteed,with both returned in full after 5 years;
20% invested in innovative companies within the DIH precinct— a VC investment with an estimated annual return of 12%; returned after 8–10 years
The MINT programme is backed by the Northern Territory state government,with 80% of the investment placed in AAA-rated state government bonds, providing 100% security of principal and interest.
For a full detailed overview, see:Australian graduates — onshore or offshore, any migration occupation — unlock a Subclass 190 permanent residency visa at just 65 points! Newstars Brisbane office connects you directly to the MINT Graduate Pathway!
Option 2: State Nomination — Small Business Owner (SBO) Pathway
The Small Business Owner pathway is fundamentally still a state-nominated skilled migration pathway, leading to permanent residency through the Subclass 190 or 491. Applicants must meet the basic requirements of the points-based skilled migration system. Compared to the business investor migration stream,the investment amount is smaller and simpler, and prior business experience is not required— and compared to the standard state nomination pathway, the advantages areless competition, no points race, no occupation restrictions, and preferential treatment from state governments.
States and territories offering a small business owner pathway include Canberra, Tasmania, and Queensland.Currently, only the Canberra state nomination small business pathway allows applicants to apply for both the Subclass 190 and 491— the other two lead only to the Subclass 491.Today we particularly recommend the Canberra Small Business 190 Pathway, which featuresapplicants meeting the prerequisite conditions and the required Matrix score receiving an invitation (based on Matrix score, not EOI score)
— a quick and flexible process. The prerequisite requirements for the Canberra Small Business 190 Pathway are:
Nominated occupation:
The nominated occupation must appear on any federal migration occupation list with a corresponding skills assessment
Residence requirement:
At least 6 consecutive months of residence in Canberra prior to lodging the Matrix
Business requirements:
– Be the primary shareholder (51%, holding majority ownership) of an ACT-registered local business that has been operating for at least 6 months.
– The business must have an annual turnover of at least AUD $200,000 (pro-rated if operating for less or more than one year).
– The business must have been profitable during the period.
Employment requirements:
– As the primary shareholder, the applicant must have drawn at least $26,000 in taxable income from the business in the 6 months prior to lodging the Matrix.
– At least one Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen residing in Canberra must be employed for a minimum of 13 weeks prior to lodging the Matrix, working no fewer than 20 hours per week. However, this employment does not need to be continuous, nor does it need to be fulfilled by the same person.
Matrix invitation scores are relatively low
Canberra’s state nomination has its own Matrix scoring system, where different scores are awarded based on length of business operation, duration of local residence, applicant’s education and English level, and spouse’s language and education level.
Currently, the invitation score for the Small Business 190 pathway is 95 points.The state government anticipates that once the allocation is received, there is room for invitation scores in the small business pathway to decrease further — overall scores, now and going forward, will be lower than those for the standard pathway.
Accounting and IT graduates, whether from Canberra or interstate, are strongly encouraged to consider the Small Business pathway, as invitation scores for the standard pathway tend to be high — currently above 100 points for the 190.
*For the Subclass 491, the prerequisites and Matrix invitation score requirements are lower.
If you are interested in any of the above pathways
and would like a detailed consultation and careful planning,
please contact
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to arrange an assessment
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Previous highlights
Why should you at least submit a Subclass 103 parent visa queue application once you get your PR?
Queensland state nomination — three major policy wins, relaxed requirements for local graduates, reopened for offshore applicants, 188E restarted
Australian graduates — onshore or offshore, any migration occupation — unlock a Subclass 190 at 65 points
Australian graduates — onshore or offshore, any migration occupation — unlock a Subclass 190 at 65 points
Australian graduates — onshore or offshore, any migration occupation — unlock a Subclass 190 at 65 points
A complete guide to Tasmania’s new state nomination policy | Pathway requirements + applicant ranking + lists explained
A complete guide to Tasmania’s new state nomination policy | Pathway requirements + applicant ranking + lists explained
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Canberra first to issue pre-invitations for the new financial year — nominations approved ahead of the pack! Click‘Original link’ — Migration Weekly Video Edition
